SACNAS Reflection by Damerrick Perry (Polaris)

SACNAS 2017 has by far been one of the best college experiences I’ve ever had. It was my first science conference, and I gained much more than I ever expected I would. Throughout my time here, I have heard personal stories from entrepreneurs, scientists, and academics that were truly inspiring. One of the most touching stories was hearing about Tyrone Hayes, who successfully proved that exposure to atrazine did in fact have adverse health effects, even in spite of a multi-billion dollar company ruthlessly attacking his credibility and personal life to protect their reputation. His story is a great example of how powerful science itself can be – that it has no bias, and no amount of money can alter the true evidence that science presents. I also heard the amazing stories of others, including a biologist’s journey through biotech startups and an ecologist who worked with a nonprofit to help alleviate food poverty in underdeveloped nations. These stories incited in me not only the idea that scientists get to pursue a wide array of fields, but also an idea of the amount of impact they get to make throughout these experiences, and these are some of the lessons I can take with me as I think about navigating the world post-graduation. Even now, I can remember coming into the conference expecting to just learn about other students’ research and about graduate programs to apply to in the future. Little did I know, my entire life perspective would change by the end of that weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah.